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The community of St Edmunds Church Hardingstone celebrated the completion of the restoration of the fabulous Rysbrack memorial last week after months of fundraising and hard work.
The memorial, commemorating members of the Bouverie family from nearby Delapré Abbey, was created by the acclaimed Flemish Sculptor Michael Rysbrack who also created the famous Sir Isaac Newton memorial in Westminster Abbey. It was commissioned by Edward Bouverie in honour of his grandparents, Bartholomew and Mary Clarke, and her brother Hitch Younge from whom he inherited his wealth.
Edward came into contact with Rysbrack through the Sculptor’s work at Bartholomew’s house in Roehampton. Rysbrack worked extensively with the famous architect James Gibb and sculpted many of the memorials he designed, including this one in Hardingstone Church.
The restoration was carried out by Imogen Paine, who carefully cleaned the memorial over a period of approximately ten days, using mostly steam. She then carefully repainted the lettering so that it can once again be read clearly. The restoration was made possible by funds from the Northamptonshire Sculpture Tour, organised by James Miller Deputy Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, along with generous donations from the local community.
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A short service discussing the history of the sculpture and the impact of our churches as places of historical and religious significance took place on Wednesday 10 April. It concluded with Bishop Debbie blessing the monument and praying for all those who visit it to be stirred to remember, not just those whom the memorial commemorates, but also the role of Jesus in our lives. The service was followed by a time of fellowship and hospitality kindly provided by the wonderful catering team of Hardingstone church.
With grateful thanks to the Revd Julie Scott, James Miller, Imogen Paine and the community of Hardingstone.
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